Hey guys
I was recently invited to Harvey Nichols in Leeds to try a new beauty gem which has opened up in their First Floor Beauty Rooms. Of course, I jumped at the chance!
The Light Salon, opened by Laura Ferguson and Hannah Measures, uses light therapy which was previously only used in the medical world, as they realised how beneficial it could be for skincare. It is now becoming a popular skincare treatment, as it is so quick and easy. It’s also completely harmless, and not damaging to the skin in any way.
What Is Light Therapy?
Light therapy uses LED, near-infrared light in order to stimulate the skin. Benefits include reducing acne and inflammation, plumping up the skin and making it look visibly healthier, with a post-facial glow. The treatment takes just 11 minutes under the light. The therapist will cleanse any makeup or dirt from the skin to prepare you for the treatment, and after 11 minutes under the light, will return and cleanse and moisturise the skin. As your face feels quite warm under the light, having your face cleansed and moisturised afterwards with the therapist’s cool hands feels so nice – like a cool shower after a day at the beach!
During the light treatment, you are comfortably reclined on a lounger, with your feet up and your eyes closed. The light head is fairly close to your face, so expect not to be able to move your head until the 11 minutes is up. Although my eyes were closed, I could see the colour and intensity of the lights through my lids. They move from side to side, which apparently some people find a bit hypnotic! I didn’t, but it was pretty relaxing. I imagine it’d be even nicer on a cold, wintery day – like being on a warm beach! The light is very warm on your face, but not at all uncomfortable.
You can be in and out of the treatment room within 20 minutes, making it a perfect treatment for a lunch-hour, unlike facials which take much longer (and usually require you not to apply makeup straight after)! Each treatment is £35, although you can buy packages, which reduces the individual price.
How Does It Work?
The Light Salon use three different ‘coloured’ lights: the yellow light comes first, and lasts one minute. It is a preconditioning light which is designed to create movement in the skin’s upper layer. By creating the movement, it leaves the skin more receptive to the next light. It is also what leaves you with a lovely glow at the end of the treatment!
The blue light is intended to treat acne, which was great for me as my skin has been terrible recently! I’m hoping that with a few more of these treatments, my persistent spots will give it a rest! The blue light targets bacteria inside the pores and can help reduce any inflammation of the skin. With continued use, it can also help heal acne scarring (or in fact, any other type of scarring on the skin). One of its main medical uses is in burns victims.
The red light stimulates blood circulation. This leaves your skin feeling plumped up and rejuvenated. The best description of my skin I can give after this treatment is… juicy! It sounds kind of gross (!) but it genuinely looked plumped up, glossy and glowy immediately after the treatment.
After-Effects
As I mentioned, my skin has been quite spotty recently due to medication changes. It looked plumped up and had a healthy glow immediately after the treatment, which showed even through the makeup I put on before I left (you can apply makeup straight after the treatment, which is great for anyone having it done in their lunch-hour or before going out for dinner)!
The glow and healthy look lasted around 3 days after the treatment – my spots looked as though I had applied a light layer of foundation or concealer; less red and bumpy. I assume this is probably the inflammation going down. Although I couldn’t see the visible results after that time, the treatment will have benefited deeper layers of my skin. The Light Salon recommend several treatments to see the full benefits. One of the owners, Laura, has been using the treatment herself for around 10 years, and her skin is gorgeous, smooth and clear so it obviously works well!
Any Long-Term Damage?
In a word – no! You can never cause damage, no matter how many treatments you have. The light therapy is completely safe and does not cause damage in the way that UV light, for example, can. One of the owners told me that they have had customers cutting down on fillers and other cosmetic procedures, after seeing such great results from the light therapy. Anything that can prevent the desire for fillers and botox must be pretty effective (and much cheaper)!
After chatting with the lovely owners, one thing stood out to me – their pride and belief in their company. After launching the first Light Salon in London, the launch of the Leeds one feels like setting their ‘baby’ out into the world! I am sure it’s going to be really successful and I wish them both the best of luck with it! They very kindly left me with vouchers for three further follow-up treatments, which I am so grateful for. Once I’ve had those, in a few months’ time, I’ll come back and update you guys on my long-term results.
If this has got you craving a bit of light yourself, you can find more details here.
Katie Cupcake 